EU leaders propose measures to ease energy price surge amid Iran war

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States said on Thursday that Israeli forces had carried out strikes on Iranian navy vessels in the Caspian Sea and targeted commanders and militants linked to Iran’s operations in Lebanon.

"Over the past 24 hours, we hit Iranian navy boats in the Caspian Sea all the way up in the north, after the American Air Force took out their navy ships in the Gulf area in the south, we hit more Basij checkpoints so there could be more freedom of movement of the Iranians," Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter posted on X.

"We hit the commander of the Imam Hussein division, who was just on the job for a week. We see more and more of these commanders hesitant and anxious about taking command," he added.

Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan on Thursday condemned recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and civilian infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

The joint statement warned that Tehran’s drone, missile, and mine‑laying operations threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and called for immediate measures to ensure safe passage and stability in global energy markets.

The United States Department of Justice said on Thursday it had seized four internet domains linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), in a court‑approved effort to disrupt “cyber‑enabled psychological operations” and transnational repression activities.

The move comes amid allegations that Tehran uses online platforms to post stolen data, claim hacking attacks, and incite violence against journalists, dissidents, and Israeli individuals, DOJ said in a statement.

The Justice Department said the seized websites had been used to further psychological operations targeting perceived adversaries of the Iranian regime, including by publishing sensitive information obtained through hacks and encouraging attacks against critics.

The operation highlights growing US concerns over Tehran’s use of cyber tools not only for espionage and disruption but also to influence and intimidate foreign audiences and civil society actors, in line with what officials describe as a broader pattern of malign Iranian cyber activity.

The Israel Air Force said on Thursday it carried out dozens of attack sorties over western and central Iran in the past day, striking more than 130 sites belonging to what it described as the “Iranian terror regime,” including ballistic missile launchers, unmanned aircraft, and air defense systems.

The Air Force said the operations aim to reduce potential attacks on Israeli territory and expand air superiority over Iranian airspace.

Iran’s mission to UN in Vienna on Thursday criticized IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi for comments on the location of Iran’s nuclear materials and facilities, calling them “deeply troubling."

In a post on X, the mission warned that any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive safeguards information could violate obligations under the International Atomic Energy Agency framework.

Grossi said on Wednesday that the agency does not know the status of the new Iranian enrichment facility located in an underground nuclear complex in Isfahan.

“It is underground, but we haven't visited it yet,” he said, speaking during a trip to Washington for a conference and meetings with officials from the administration of Donald Trump.